How to clean stains off teeth
Surface stains can often be reduced with professional cleaning and plaque control, but stains inside enamel need a different approach.
How can stains be removed or reduced from your teeth?
Surface stains can often be reduced with professional cleaning and plaque control, but stains inside enamel need a different approach.
What is the difference between surface and internal staining?
Extrinsic stains sit on enamel, while intrinsic discoloration lies within enamel or dentine. Tartar is hardened plaque that a toothbrush cannot remove.
What can you do about stains and hardened deposits?
Brush with fluoride toothpaste, clean between teeth, and ask for scaling and polishing when deposits are hardened.
When should a new or painful tooth mark be examined?
Book care for a new, one-sided, rough, painful, or non-removable mark. Avoid abrasive powders, acids, and sharp tools.
What should you ask about treating tooth discolouration?
Ask whether the colour is on the surface or inside the tooth, and whether cleaning, whitening, a filling, or another treatment fits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the usual first step?
A dental examination identifies the cause before treatment is selected.
When should I seek care?
Seek care for persistent, worsening, painful, or unexplained changes.
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Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.